1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to a vehicle cargo bed extender, and more specifically, to a bed extender that includes a sliding pivot joint having a post and a slot that facilitates rectilinear longitudinal movement of the bed extender relative to the cargo bed of the vehicle and pivotal movement of the bed extender between stowed and deployed positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pickup trucks are well known vehicles having rear cargo areas that are employed for utilitarian purposes. A representative example of this type of vehicle is generally indicated at 20 in FIG. 1. As is well known in the art, pickup trucks typically include a cab 22 in which the vehicle operator sits and a cargo area, generally indicated at 24. The cargo area 24 is typically disposed adjacent and to the rear of the cab 22. The cargo area 24 is typically defined by a bed 26 and pair of upstanding sidewalls 28 spaced from one another on either side of the bed 26. In addition, the vehicle 20 typically includes a rear wall or “tailgate” 30 that extends between the pair of sidewalls 28 at one end of the bed 26 and a front wall 32 located at the other end of the bed 26 opposite to the tailgate 30. The rear wall or tailgate 30 is usually hingedly mounted to the bed 26 so as to be rotatable between an upright position (FIG. 1) and an extended position as shown in FIG. 2. When it is in its extended position, the tailgate 30 is said to be “down” or “open” and is usually disposed substantially co-planar with the bed 26 of the vehicle cargo area 24. When it is disposed in its upright position, the tailgate 30 extends substantially perpendicularly between the pair of sidewalls 28. In this disposition, together the sidewalls 28, the tailgate 30 and front wall 32 define a perimeter of the vehicle cargo area 24.
Numerous accessories have been developed for the purpose of augmenting the utilitarian functions of the cargo area 24 in such vehicles. For example, toolboxes and other, similar storage devices have been employed to provide a secure enclosure for storing tools and other valuable implements in the otherwise open cargo area 24 of vehicles, such as pickup trucks 20. Such toolboxes and the like are typically mounted between the sidewalls 28 and the front wall 32 proximate to the cab 22 of the vehicle 20. While such toolboxes adequately function for their intended purposes, they also act to reduce the remaining available cargo area 24 of the vehicle 20.
Another common accessory employed in connection with the cargo area of a vehicle such as a pickup truck is known as a “Tonneau Cover”. Tonneau covers known in the related art are often constructed of canvas, wood, or metal panels and extend between the upper margins of the sidewalls 28 from the front wall 32 generally to the tailgate 30. Tonneau covers serve to enclose the cargo area 24 thereby providing a modicum of protection for tools and other cargo. Tonneau covers also act to reduce the aerodynamic drag caused by fully uncovered cargo areas. Partial tonneau covers are also known that extend from the front wall 32 but that do not continue the entire distance to the tailgate. These partial covers offer some aerodynamic benefits and also allow easier access to the rearmost portion of the cargo area and tailgate.
Another vehicle accessory that has gained popularity in recent years is generally known as a “Truck Bed Extender”. Truck bed extenders known in the related art are usually employed with the tailgate 30 “down” or in the extended position as shown in FIG. 2. The bed extender is mounted to the sidewalls 28 and is supported by the tailgate 30. In this way, truck bed extenders known in the related art serve to increase the effective length of the bed 26 of the pickup truck 20.
Numerous variations on the truck bed extender theme currently exist in the related art. For example, bed extenders are currently in use that are constructed of tubular steel, or aluminum to enclose the area above the tailgate 30 when it is down. Alternatively, several styles of enclosed boxes that stow in the truck bed when not in use and that operatively move out over the tailgate to extend the bed area have been produced. Some of these are structurally robust enough to extend out beyond the end of the tailgate. Still other bed extenders are known in the related art that include a series of light-weight panels that are designed to be foldable when not in use or when the tailgate 30 is disposed in its upright position.
While such bed extenders known in the related art have generally worked for their intended purposes, disadvantages still remain regarding their use for certain vehicle applications. For example, a number of manufacturers are now producing multi-purpose vehicles that combine some of the features of traditional pick-up trucks (FIG. 1) with some of the features of the common forms of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). These vehicles are referred to as SUV/Pickup crossovers. As shown in FIG. 3, a typical example of one these crossover style vehicles is generally indicated at 40. The crossover vehicle 40 provides the four-place cabin of an SUV and a foreshortened rear bed of a pickup as a cargo area. Similar to the pickup truck of FIG. 1, the crossover vehicle 40 in FIG. 3 also has a cargo area 24 that is defined by a bed 26 and pair of upstanding sidewalls 28 spaced from one another. A tailgate 30 extends between the pair of sidewalls 28 at the rear end of the bed 26 and a front wall 32 is located at the other end of the bed 26 opposite to the tailgate 30. Due to the reduced carrying capacity of the shorter rear bed 26 compared to traditional pickups (FIG. 1), it is desirous to provide these vehicles with bed extenders. However, the shorted rear bed 26 of the crossover vehicle 40 makes the use of conventional truck bed extenders highly problematic. This is due to the fact that a crossover vehicle 40 most often employs some type of bed accessory, such as the tool box 34 or tonneau cover 36 as discussed above, that interferes with the proper deployment of a conventional bed extender.
In addition to the problem of fitting a conventional bed extender in crossover vehicles such as these, it is a particular design and selling feature to provide the vehicle user with the ability to make quick changes from one manner, or mode of use of the vehicle to another. Thus, it is a design intent of the crossover vehicle to provide the user the ability to open the tailgate, quickly place the bed extender, and be ready to use it immediately. To rapidly accomplish the vehicle changeover to the extended bed mode of operation, it is desirable to employ a pivoting bed extender.
In this manner, the extender is pivotably mounted to the bed sidewalls 28 so that it may be lay stowed in the bed, then when desired, be quickly pivoted 180 degrees out over the down tailgate 30 for use. However, for the bed extender to provide the full benefit of a usable extended cargo area, it must generally extend out over the full length of the tailgate 30 in its down position. This means that at minimum, the bed must have the same space available for stowing the extender when it is pivoted back into the bed as it takes up over the tailgate in the extended position. However, additional clearance space in the bed must also be available for the arcuate swing of the extender as it pivots. Furthermore, since the extender pivot points cannot generally be placed at the end of the bed due to interference with closing the tailgate, the bed extender must actually extend farther into the bed when stowed than it extends out over the tailgate when in use. This is where the problem lies.
The shorter bed of a crossover vehicle simply does not have the room to accommodate both the bed extender and an additional accessory such as a toolbox or a tonneau cover without causing interference between them and thereby forcing a departure from the desired quick change features. Thus, employing a conventional bed extender in a crossover vehicle forces the elimination of the pivoting feature and requires an extender that is separate and not generally left mounted to the bed when stowed. This adds the additional drawbacks of several extra time-consuming steps necessary to accomplish the change to the extended bed mode of operation. Furthermore, additional steps are necessary to remove the extender, stow it, and close the tailgate to return to the non-extended mode. This bed extender interference problem occurs regardless of the type of accessory that is employed in the crossover vehicle bed.
Additionally, this problem arises with standard pick-up truck cargo beds in any of a variety of scenarios in which the bed regularly carries or maintains large volume objects and only a small amount of space remains at the end of the bed. In these circumstances it is often desirable to employ a bed extender to carry additional items yet the space to stow a pivotal bed extender is inadequate.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a cargo bed extender that has an improved pivot mounting for use in either a crossover vehicle cargo bed or in a standard pick-up cargo bed where space to stow the extender is limited. Thus, there remains a need in the art for a cargo bed extender that is pivotably moveable between deployed and stowed positions, and is also movable rectilinearly so that only a minimum of space is required to stow the extender in the bed of the vehicle and avoid interference with other objects in the cargo area.